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‘American Idol’s Alex Preston: ‘I’m surprised I made it this far’ (Exclusive Video)

“I am just like a coffee house-type singer and I’m surprised I made it this far,” admitted “American Idol” castoff Alex Preston the day after his third-place elimination.

“But I think it’s kind of cool that I made it this far, especially with my genre. And now I’m excited to utilize the fan base that ‘American Idol’ has offered me for the future.” (Watch the entire webchat below.)

After Ryan Seacrest announced that Alex received the lowest amount of votes, he says that he had to switch hotels: “I had an hour to get all my stuff and go to the next hotel. But, you know, it’s part of the game. It’s part of the experience. And I was in that hotel for months, so I was blessed to be there.”

Which Season 13 guest mentor gave Alex the best advice? “When Jason Mraz told me to put the microphone up, I did that a few more times. That was really effective. It kind of got more connection between the camera and my eyes.”

If Alex could change one performance from the season, it would be Gavin DeGraw‘s “I Don’t Wanna Be” from Top 12 Week. “I would probably not give it a reggae vibe. I would go for the rock and roll version or even like a stripped-down version.”

Next up for Alex is prepping for the Season 13 finale in which he’ll sing a duet with Mraz at the Nokia Theatre. The two-night “American Idol” finale airs live on Fox Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21.